


and death

by epsiloneridani



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Mentions of Blood, The Clone Wars Season 7, The Siege of Mandalore, Victory and Death, mentions of injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24012520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsiloneridani/pseuds/epsiloneridani
Summary: Surviving was a victory, but the air tastes like death.Rex and Ahsoka. The aftermath on the moon.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 80
Kudos: 283





	and death

He barely has the will to breathe.

Combing through the wreckage is a slow process. They don’t speak. Ahsoka lifts the debris, Rex hauls the body out, and they dig another grave.

His eyes are dry. He doesn’t have any more tears to cry.

Time after time, it’s Rex who cradles the broken young body to his chest and eases it down. Time after time, he hears the hiss of a helmet’s broken seal and stares into eyes that have seen too much and then lost their light too soon.

Body after body. Brother after brother.

_Rest_ , Rex whispers to every vacant stare. _Just rest._

Their nightmare is over.

There’s a sick pit of dread in his stomach. The further they go, the deeper it gets. He knows how close they must be. He knows what he’s going to find. It’s only a matter of time.

He catches a flash of that proud, bright blue.

Rex’s breath stops in his throat.

Jesse’s sprawled out flat on his back. His pistol’s still clutched in his right hand. His head is turned to an awkward angle. Rex swallows against the lump swelling in his throat. For a moment, he’s struck motionless. When he remembers how to make his limbs move, they’re stiff and uncooperative. Step by shuddering step, he crosses the expanse.

Jesse’s so still.

Rex crashes to his knees. He doesn’t feel the impact.

“Jesse,” Rex whispers, and rests a hand on his chestplate. “Oh, Jesse.”

He needs to lift him and carry him to the hole in the ground on this forsaken moon where he’ll find his forever rest, but all Rex can do is stare. He reaches for Jesse’s helmet. His hands are shaking.

The helmet comes away.

The Republic emblem is marred with thick black blood. Jesse’s eyes are open wide, staring blankly at the sky. Rex’s breath hitches; he presses a hand to Jesse’s cheek.

Even through the glove, he feels so cold.

“Jesse,” Rex says again. His voice breaks. Tears spill down his cheeks in scathing streams. A sob tears its way out of his throat. Rex bows his forehead to Jesse’s chest –finds his hand, and holds it tight.

“Rest,” Rex croaks, and squeezes his eyes shut against the burning tide. “Rest now, Jess. It’s over. It’s all over.”

He doesn’t know how long he stays there. When he finally brings himself to close Jesse’s eyes, to lift him and hold him close a final time, he turns to find Ahsoka is at his side. She doesn’t ask him to speak; she just gives him a solemn nod and follows him to Jesse’s grave.

Rex eases down beside it. Jesse’s head is pillowed on his shoulder. If his face and scalp weren’t so bruised from the impact that snapped his neck, Rex might think he was just sleeping.

He wishes he was just sleeping.

Ahsoka’s hand falls on Rex’s shoulder and squeezes, once. Rex shudders a breath.

“Rest,” Rex says, and settles Jesse’s body below. “Rest now, Jess. The nightmare’s done. You’re free.”

It’s Ahsoka that finds some salvageable emergency supplies and brings them back to the ship to set up camp beside it. Rex eases down by the fire and pulls his helmet into his lap. Ahsoka’s movements are memorized and mechanical.

“Hey,” Rex rasps. Ahsoka glances at him. “Hey, sit down.”

She obliges, settling across from him. In the flickering flames and the sun’s fading light, there’s only emptiness in her eyes. Rex opens his mouth; nothing comes out.

There are no words for this.

They pick at their rations and sit in frozen silence until the sun sinks below the horizon. The fire casts long shadows, stretching toward the graves.

Rex looks away.

“I should contact Bo-Katan,” Ahsoka says. Her voice is muted. Rex snaps his gaze up to meet hers. She’s not looking at him. Her hands twist in her lap. “She’ll help us.”

Rex hasn’t even considered things like ‘where to go’ and ‘what to do next.’ Ahsoka looks like she’s just realizing at least one of them needs to.

“Yeah,” Rex agrees tonelessly. “That would be a good idea.”

Ahsoka wraps her arms around herself and shivers. Rex isn’t convinced it’s from the cold. “What is it?”

She shudders again and presses her eyes closed. “Nothing,” she says, strained. “It’s nothing, Rex.”

“The Jedi?” Rex asks softly.

Ahsoka’s eyes open slowly; they’re brimming with tears. “It’s not just the Jedi that are in pain,” she says. Her voice cracks. “It’s the clones, too. They’re terrified.”

Rex remembers tremors ripping through his frame, remembers a rising cold and a murderous pain and screaming Fives’ name. Not just because Fives was the only one that could save her, but because with Fives, he always felt safe.

Now Fives is gone too.

“I know the feeling.”

“I can’t feel Anakin in the Force any more,” Ahsoka blurts. “He’s just…gone.”

Rex grimaces. It should hit harder, he knows; all he feels is a faint pang. Maybe he already knew; maybe he just assumed. “At least Maul was wrong,” Rex says blankly, like that’s any comfort at all.

Some terrible part of him is glad that Kix isn’t around to see any of this.

Ahsoka takes first watch, so Rex curls one arm under his cheek and stares into the flames. He should at least be trying to rest; there’s a long road ahead.

He can’t get the screams out of his head.

Ahsoka’s sitting with her back to him and her sight set on the horizon. She’s been silent and still for so long that at first, Rex is sure he’s imagining the way her shoulders shake.

Then she rattles a teary breath, and he knows.

Rex eases upright and crawls to her side. She turns away and tugs her hood more securely about her face.

“Hey,” Rex says, and reaches out. Slowly, so slowly, he tugs the hood back. “Ahsoka, look at me.”

It takes her a beat; it takes her an eternity. Her cheeks are streaked with tears. Her lower lip trembles. She opens her mouth to speak; nothing comes out.

There are no words for this.

“C’mere, kid,” Rex says hoarsely. Ahsoka falls against him and buries her face in his neck. She heaves a breathless, wracking sob.

All Rex can do is pull her close – and hold.

“I know,” Rex says, and presses her forehead to his own. “I know.”

\--


End file.
